WHEREAS, February 22, 2024, is recognized nationally and internationally as Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day; and

WHEREAS, Women have contributed to the diverse fields of engineering both historically and currently, yet remain underrepresented in both education programs and the workforce; and

WHEREAS, In 1960, less than 1 percent of recorded engineers were women; and

WHEREAS, The number of women employed in architecture and engineering had risen by 65.4 percent from 2018 to 2022; and

WHEREAS, Women account for only about one-fifth of bachelor’s degrees, one-quarter of master’s degrees, and one-quarter of doctorates in engineering; and

WHEREAS, About one-fifth of full-time wage and salary earners were women in engineering; and

WHEREAS, Female science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates earn less than their male counterparts; and

WHEREAS, Girls are more likely than boys to expect to become health professionals (35 percent versus 9 percent), but boys are more likely than girls to expect to become science and engineering professionals (20 percent versus 6 percent) and information and communication technology professionals (4 percent versus 0.5 percent); and

WHEREAS, A myriad of organizations and programs in the United States are committed to combating the gender gap in engineering by encouraging women and girls to explore male-dominated STEM fields; and

WHEREAS, Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics greatly contribute to California being the fourth largest economy in the world; and

WHEREAS, California remains committed to the principles of gender equality; now, therefore, be it